A Jim Thorpe woman now faces criminal homicide charges in the death of an elderly Penn Forest Township man earlier this month.

District Judge Eric M. Schrantz arraigned Ashley Nicole Self, 32, on charges of criminal homicide and reckless endangerment, which she waived to Carbon County Court of Common Pleas on Thursday.

She is currently being held without bail at the Carbon County Correctional Facility in Nesquehoning.

According to the affidavit filed by Pennsylvania State Police at Fern Ridge, on Aug. 10, at 9:03 a.m., troopers were dispatched to a home on Parker Mews in Penn Forest Township.

The caller said that his 79-year-old father, Kenneth Greenfield Sr., was being attacked by Ashley, who was later identified as Ashley Self, and police were aware of an active mental health warrant for her.

When police arrived, they found Greenfield unresponsive in his bed and attempted to resuscitate him. Self was no longer in the residence.

They also observed a cut on his left forearm and his oxygen tube not secured and broken. Greenfield had a history of COPD, asthma and emphysema and required the oxygen.

Police interviewed the victim’s son, who said he had picked up Self early that morning and drove her to the home.

Once in the house, Self fell asleep, and when she woke up around 8:30 a.m., began meowing and rubbing up against the son, as if she were a cat.

Based on her behavior, the son told her to leave and said he would call the police. The son said she then stripped and refused to leave.

The son went to the garage to call a mutual friend about Self’s behavior when he heard his father yelling from inside the home.

When the son found his father, he saw Self standing in front of the man and attempting to push him down onto the bed while he was trying to fight Self off.

She began scratching him like a cat. The son tried to get Self off his father, but was not able to, telling police it was like Self had “superhuman strength.”

Lehighton EMS transported Greenfield to St. Luke’s Hospital — Carbon campus, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Police searched the area and found Self approximately 100 yards from the residence. It was noted that she continued her erratic behavior, imitating dog and cat noises, and was still naked.

On Aug. 15, police interviewed Self at the county prison, where she told them that she was using methamphetamine the day before, on Aug. 9. The next morning she arrived at Greenfield’s home and took a nap.

She recalled entering Greenfield’s bedroom and hissing at him. Police asked what happened next, and she said, “I killed him.”

Police asked how did she kill him, and she said, “I choked him out.” Self then explained getting behind him and using her arms to restrict his breathing.

Self had previously been charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and simple assault. Those charges were withdrawn with the filing of the homicide charges.

She is now scheduled for formal arraignment on Oct. 30 in the Carbon County Courthouse.